Empire of the Moghul, Brothers at War – Alex Rutherford

The sequel to the first in this series 'Empire of the Moghul - Raiders of the North' is equally impressive. This one tells the tale of Babur’s son, Humayun (1508-1556), the forgiving, soft spoken, star gazing emperor, and it is a fascinating tale and one I never knew or expected. Humayun was chosen as the Emperor (December 1530) by his father Babur and fought the first battle of Panipat when the small Moghul army defeated a much larger army of Ibrahim Lodi. But his claim to the throne as Emperor was forever contested by his half brothers Kamran Mirza, who was older, Askari Mirza, and the youngest of them all, Hindal. Fighting his own addictions, doubt, betrayal by his brothers and others close to him Humayun lost everything. The book is a racy tale as Alex Rutherford (pen name of Diana and Michael Preston) recounts how Humayun survives all the odds and comes back to reclaim what he believes is rightfully his.

As the Emperor of Delhi Humayun launched a daring assault on Fort Champinir, Fort Manda, Gujarat and made good much wealth. This campaign established Humayun’s prowess as a leader. But he was constantly troubled by his step brothers, mainly the ambitious Kamran, supported by the much weaker Askari, and a young Hindal, who plotted to overthrow him. Humayun, as he did so many times in his life, forgave them and welcomed them back despite their treachery. It was seen as a weakness and perhaps it was because Humayun was apt to take his time, trusted easily and forgave easily. To make matters worse his step mother, Kamran’s mother Gulrukh, initiated the young Emperor and made him an opium addict which clouded his judgement, just as his belief in the prophecies of the stars did, for several years. 

Seen as a weak and eccentric ruler Humayun lost his hold over his people. That was about the time when Sher Shah Suri rose from Bengal. Going to quell the upstart Humayun lost the battle, again due to his rather trusting nature. and just about  saved his life by swimming across the Ganges. There is a fine tale of how a water carrier saved him at that battle and how Humayun made him a promise to seat him on the Mughal throne for a while, and as the tale goes, honoured it.

Humayun was forced to retreat and worse, forced to leave Delhi too, after a humiliating loss at the Battle of Kanauj to Sher Shah Suri. Humayun is chased all the way across Lahore, as more and more of his allies and subjects deserted him, allying with Sher Shah Suri instead. He apparently lost the loyalty of his younger brother Hindal when he chose to marry Hamida, a girl that Hindal also loved. With dwindling armies, suffering one betrayal after another, his young wife pregnant with the future king Akbar, Humayun is forced to flee deeper and deeper. In the desert it is said that Humayun’s pregnant wife was not given a horse to ride when her own steed died and Humayun offered her his, choosing to ride a camel – a moment Humayun recounted as the lowest in his life.

Akbar was born in a desolate place called Umarkot, but the infant prince was taken away soon after by the half brothers. Kamran and Askari, who have now captured Kabul, tell Humayun to go as far as Persia and spend his life there. Humayun agrees to go having no other option as he wants his son back. It is described that the Emperor and his small group was forced to eat the meat of a horses boiled in a helmet those days!

Humayun waa welcomed as an Emperor by the Shah of Persia and treated with great respect. Not wanting to be treated as a beggar Humayun apparently gifted the Koh-i-Nur to him. (The diamond later made its way back to Shah Jehan.) The Shah of Persia gave Humayun his armies and help, but converted Humayun, a Sunni, into a Shia. Left with no alternative, Humayun even embraced the change in faith.

Armed with the powerful Persian army Humayun attacked Kabul. But Kamran has no qualms about putting up the young Akbar in the line of fire and Humayun was forced to retreat. Help comes in the most unexpected form – his younger brother Hindal says he will bring Akbar to him as he understands Kamran well. Hindal did bring back Akbar and with nothing to stop him now, Humayun attacked Kabul, already reeling under some pestilence, and took the city, which is already tired of Kamran’s misrule. Once again Humayun forgave his half brothers and let them go against all advice.

Humayun, despite the retreat of the Persian force, planned to conquer Hindustan. However many Persian nobles, including the formidable Bairam Khan chose to remain with him, and it is this Persian influence that spread into the Mughal culture, architecture, literature that one sees in Mughal architecture and culture. Hearing of Sher Shah’s death in a freak accident on the battlefield, Humayun found that the throne in Delhi awaited him with only Sher Shah’s son Islam Shah, Sekandar Shah and Adil Shah between him and the throne.

But before he started for Hindustan Humayun had another matter settled. Hindal is killed and his body is delivered to him. This time, Humayun captured his bothers who he suspected of this misdeed, but typically, forgave Askari again, and let him go to Mecca. Askari never reached Mecca; died fighting pirates on the way. Kamran, the one who would never give him peace, is also spared, but blinded. Kamran also leaves to Mecca and finally died there.

Free now from the internal problems of his brothers Humayun turned to Hindustan with the Persian chief Bairam Khan as the Commander-In-Chief. After a relatively easy acquisition of territories along the way the Mughals fought the battle of Sirhind where Sekandar Shah was defeated, before he conquered Delhi. Six months after, Emperor Humayun died while suffering a fall on the steps of his observatory, making Akbar the Emperor at a young age.

Humayun’s story was a revelation to me. If Babur struggled all his life trying to reclaim Samarkhand, Humayun did the same with Delhi. Like Babur, he lost everything and regained it all. It is estimated that at his death the Mughal empire extended from Afghanistan to India, spread over one million square kilometres. Humayun’s qualities of patience, forgiveness, soft spokenness earned him the title of ‘The Perfect Man’.

Having started reading the book I was drawn into it once the Sher Shah attack and deception at Chausa began. I read it all night, stopping only at 0430 am as the book took me all over along India, Afghanistan, Persia, with Humayun. It was a fascinating read again and I am all the more interested now in going to Delhi, Agra and Panipat, and trace some of the places where they went.

Alex Rutherford is a brilliant story teller and I am glad to have read this book. I wonder now why we have never had writers write our own history so well. I wonder how much of our today would have been different if our history had been told much better. There is so much to know, to learn and all I can do is wonder. But they must be congratulated – Rutherford, Dalrymple, Zubrzycki – and others for presenting us with our history in a manner that we can understand and enjoy. And thanks Prarthana for lending it out to me.
Now on to reading the next two - Ruler of the World and Tainted Throne - and await the last in the series The Serpent's Tooth which is due for release.

The Aga Khan Palace, Pune

I am glad I visited the Aga Khan palace this trip now, when I am more aware of Indian history (and even more in awe) than a photo clicking tourist that I might have been a few years ago.

The Aga Khan palace, Pune

Also known as the Gandhi National Memorial this magnificent palace was built by the 3rd Agakhan Sultan Mohammad Shah Aga Khan in 1892 to create employment for the famine struck people in and around Pune. Built over an area of 19 acres and a strong foundation of noble thought and philanthropy, the palace cost Rs. 12 lakh to build over a period of five years. A 1000 people were employed and paid full wages. The highly educated Aga Khan was the 48th spiritual head of the Khoja Ismaili religion, was the President of the All India Muslim League and promoter of progressive thought  among Muslims.

The corridor that leads to Gandhi ji's room

But the palace has a bigger history than that. After the Quit India Movement, Gandhi ji was placed under house arrest in this palace on August 9, 1942 with his wife Kasturba and his secretary Mahadev Desai. Before being released on May 6, 1944, Gandhi ji lost both his wife and secretary - both died while at the Aga Khan palace due to illness. Of great national importance, the Aga Khan palace was donated to the Gandhi National Memorial Society by the 4th Aga Khan in 1969.

Located on the Nagar Road, Pune, the palace is a beautiful work of architecture with large spaces and high ceilings. The gardens are well kept and green and offer much shade. Apart from marveling at the structure, the maintenance, the gardens etc, one can dip into history and walk the spaces that were walked by great men. There are many precious pictures, the room where Mahadev Desai lived and died, the room where Gandhi and Kasturba lived, with their personal articles. Moving on further we can see the samadhis of Kasturba and Mahadev Desai and a place where a part of Gandhi's ashes are kept. It inspires me to now visit Sabarmati ashram sometime.

Samadhis of Kasturba and Mahadev Desai

Among the people who inspire and awe me with their deeds and conviction in their thoughts, Gandhi ranks high. To do what he has done, to inspire lakhs to follow the path that he considered right, the path of non-violence (against others), of love and self reliance, of steadfastness in the face of odds, of sacrifice and truth, of strict discipline and the highest principles, of equality for all, of tolerance, of constant search for truth and much more, Gandhi ranks as one of the most courageous people the world has seen. How can anyone have so much conviction to spread peace, love and forgiveness to people who have lost their all is something I cannot imagine. But he held on to his belief and his conviction when the stakes were the highest, when all seemed lost.

Gandhiji's ashes

From the Aga Khans, 3 and 4, their wonderful gestures in constructing the palace and in donating it, the architecture, and mostly the history it contains, a visit to the Aga Khan palace is a must visit when in Pune.    

Epic - Movie Review

Another 3 D movie. These movies are getting on my nerves. I think Anjali actually saw most of it with her glasses off. But certainly this one was much better because it involves tiny people, the Leafmen, and their enemies, living in the colorful forest. So the 3D was pretty with flowers blooming etc.

Based on a William Joyce children's book 'The Leafmen and the Brave Good Bugs', Epic is about tiny forest people called Leafmen who protect the forest. Queen, Tara, who takes care of the forest, dies. Before dying she hands over the pod of the forest to a teenaged human Mary Catherine who by coincidence happens to be around at that crucial time. Entrusted with the pod which has the life of the forest and protected by Ronin and Nod, (and the snail and slug), she has to somehow get the pod to bloom on  a full moon night. The Leafmen are attacked by their enemies the Boggans and are hopelessly outnumbered. Will they save the pod? The forest? Will Mary Catherine return to human form again? Will she reconcile with her scientist father who is studying the Leafmen for years? Go watch with your kid.

Anjali's take:
I liked the movie. It was an adventure of the forest. The 3D was like they were touching me so I got a little scared. I liked the part when Queen Tara gave the pod to Mary Catherine. And the other part is when the Leafmen (Ronin) holds Tara in his arms when she is dying. At the end I liked the part when MK is talking to Nod on the computer and the slug comes and troubles Nod. Anjali's rating 10/10.

Chota Bheem and the Throne of Bali - Movie Review

I'll keep this short. I'd rather have the target audience speak. I watched the movie with Anjali who is a major Chota Bheem fan - just as so many other kids who showed up. Good show guys - having an Indian animation icon is brilliant. Am happy and proud of Rajiv Chilaka and his team!

Interesting feature. I saw many fathers coming to watch the movie with their children solo. Also kids have no volume control when something interests them they let go at full volume. Adults find that very embarrassing. I found a new problem - where do 5 year olds go when they are with their parents of the other gender?

The movie was a slight improvement (or did I get used to it?) than the last Chota Bheem I saw. This one has an Arjun though and I hope these movies don't completely confuse the kids about Bheem and Arjun and Kris - the Mahabharatha is confusing as it is. Anyway there is a witch and there are heroes and princes and beautiful East Asian people. With Bheem around you can't lose. Areas for improvement - animation certainly is still rather two dimensional and too flat and at times rather amateurish. The stories themselves are rather similar.

In Anjali's words:
Liked it a little. Liked the part when they have the competition of killing all the beasts - who kills more wins. Other part is when Chota Bheem says bye bye and falls off into the volcano. And then again when very good type of King who came and said 'Arjun is not the real prince. You are the real prince.'
Another part I liked was when Bheem went and killed the monster King.

What I did not like is when Bheem and Arjun were fighting.

I liked this more than the earlier movie - a little. Anjali's rating 8/10.

So then there it is.

Arunima Sinha - A True Champion's Inspiring Tale, A Breath Of Fresh Air

After the tales of human greed, weakness and mediocrity over the past few days comes a story that's like a breath of fresh air. Arunima Sinha, all of 25 years old, a young volleyball champion with big dreams in her mind, scaled Mount Everest. So what's the big deal one may ask. The big deal is that Arunima scaled the Everest on a prosthetic leg.

Hmmm, so? Check out the story.

It was in 2011 that the young national volleyball player was thrown out of a train by chain snatching criminals when she was travelling from Lucknow to Delhi. Hit by a passing train she was badly injured on the leg and pelvis regions. (How these incidents happen with such regularity and how they are tolerated is something I can never understand. Who throws people out of moving trains and what happens to them? Do they get caught?) Anyway, her leg was so badly injured that doctors had to amputate it and that put paid to her dreams. Or so one would have thought with a sympathetic cluck. Most would have resigned to their fate and wallowed in self-pity, some might even have chosen to opt out of life. Not Arunima.

She could not stand the pity in the eyes of those around her. She decided to do something that would be big enough which would give her a new identity that brought her respect and not pity. And so she conjured up a new dream - to scale the Mount Everest. To be the first Indian amputee to scale the Everest. With the help of the wonderful Bachendri Pal, the first Indian woman to scale the Everest, and the Tata Steel Adventure Foundation (TSAF) she trained and scaled a peak that not many of us with all our limbs intact can even 'dream' of.

Today Arunima stands up high among the list of true champions, having proven to herself and the world that nothing can stop you if you make up your mind, that everything is possible if there is honest effort. She gives hope and courage to all those who wish to believe that life could smile at them too. Life does, if you first choose to smile at it first. Wonderful stuff Arunima and I hope to read much more of this brave girl.

And when I see able bodied, fully educated, talented and pampered people around indulging in self-pity, doubt, pity, blame, criticism and not able to have the courage to 'see' what they have, I can only hope that Arunima's feat opens their eyes to the true champion spirit. That there is much one can achieve if one wants to.

I cannot but wonder at this. The newspaper that wishes social change and has celebrity endorsements for its social change movement places the spineless IPL match fixing scenario on the first page. Arunima's effort shows up deep inside on page 8. What are we celebrating? What are you promoting? I know, we all know the answer - we are celebrating human frailty, mediocrity and all that we can point at someone else and feel self-righteous about it ourselves. It's time we celebrated actions and not promises. Champions instead of brands that have been built by projecting partial truth (and hiding much). The true indicator as with Arunima of a real champion are the actions. Not the promises and the hype.

The Great Gatsby - Movie Review

Firstly, why is this movie in 3D? I could not for the life of me figure out why I was sitting and watching this movie with those glasses on. The story unfolds as it does in the novel by Scott Fitzgerald, with the narrator recounting the circumstances in which he met  his rich, party-throwing neighbour Jay Gatsby at Long Island, New York in 1922 when there was money to be made everywhere and life was one big party.  Gatsby's party's were the biggest and the wildest of them all.

Tobey Mcguire fits the role of Nick Carraway perfectly. He is drawn into the lives of his pretty cousin Daisy and her husband and his old mate at college, Tom, lives which are unhappy despite their riches and filled with jealousy, resentment, cheating. An invitation from the elusive Mr. Gatsby to one of his parties opens up Nick to the real motives of why Gatsby is throwing parties - he loves Daisy and wants Nick to invite her home for tea so he could meet her. And from there on until the end it is a roller coaster ride of how Gatsby, the supposed black marketeer, murderer, soldier, goes about with his love and how most other seemingly honest and respectable people do not show even an iota of the character that he shows. It's an intense love story - no wonder they made six movies in Hollywood based on this novel including a 1974 one that starred Robert Redford. This one was stretched a bit, and I felt the part with Amitabh Bachchan was rather contrived and served little purpose.

Leonardo Di Caprio is fabulous as Gatsby and he seems to be excelling in this lost love themes - Titanic, Blood Diamond, Revolutionary Road and now this movie come to my mind. Tobey Macguire is perfect casting. Kind of slow, stretched and petering off to a slow and dull end. I'd miss it and not feel too bad about it. But if you read the novel, perhaps it might be worth a watch. Or even if the old world values make some sense to you..Else who in today's world would feel shocked at the ease with which people drop their loves and loyalties. 

Panhala Fort, Kolhapur

Some 20 odd kms on the Kolhapur-Ratnagiri road you veer off into the hills and land up at the Panhala fort It is a short ride and a small climb and we find ourselves at the entry point of the fort - called the char darwaza - of which precious little remains. However there are enough signs of the fort of Panhalgad. Panhala apparently means home of serpents!

Shiva Kashid's statue

The fort was built in the late 1100s by Bhoja II, the Shilahara ruler. He was also responsible for building forts  at Satara, Vishalgad, Bhudargad and Bavda). From the Shilaharas to the Yadavas of Devgiri and then to the Bahamani kings of Bijapur, the Adil Shahs, Panhala was ruled by many dynasties. Shivaji took over the fort after killing Afzal Khan at Pratapgad in 1659. It is after this that the story of Panhalgad gets interesting and almost like the movie 300. Adil Shah II sent his army led by a general Siddi Johar to recapture the fort from Shivaji. Shivaji fought back but after a four month siege was on the verge of capture. And it is then that he decided to escape.

Baji Prabhu Deshpande's statue

To keep the 15000 strong enemy occupied his general Baji Prabhu Deshpande and a small group of 1000 soldiers along with a barber Shiva Kashid, who was a Shivaji look alike, fought against the stronger army allowing Shivaji to escape. Most of the soldiers including Shiva Kashid and Baji Prabhu Deshpande died in that battle. Baji Prabhu Deshpande is said to have held the Siddi Johar men back in  a narrow gorge with his men, two swords in their hands, bleeding heavily but not giving up until they heard the sound of cannons from Vishalgad that signified that Shivaji had reached safety. History is replete with such stories of loyalty and sacrifice and bravery and it makes your spine tingle and makes you want to see some of that spirit our there today. What was amazing is the loyalty that Shivaji commanded from his soldiers. Even at Vishalgad there is the story of young Rano Narayan Sarpotdar.

Teen Darwaza

Courtesans palace

Ambar Khana

Sambhaji's temple

Mosque at Char Darwaza

Temple at Panchganga, Kolhapur

Old bridge, submerged temple

At the entrance you find the statue of Shiva Kashid. Shivaji's lookalike who sacrificed his life for his king, and in the middle of the town one finds the imposing statue of Baji Prabhu Deshpande with two swords in his hands. Some means of transport could help cover the distance easily though its not really a large place to cover by foot if you have the time. One could check out the Char darwaza, the Teen darwaza, the Andhar bav, Ambar Khana, Dharam Koti, Tararani mahal, Sambhaji's temple, Sajja Kothi and other such structures which are centuries old. The work on the darwaza's is intricate and really wonderful to behold. To walk on the same land where so much history took place itself makes one feel so privileged and instantly you get greedy and wish you'd stayed a couple of days.

Tourist Inn, outside the rooms

Kawade's Tourist Inn

I booked myself into Kawde's Tourist Inn which has decent rooms, lovely tree cover, great food at pretty reasonable rates (Tel No ). It's quite central to the action and one could actually trek around the place on a good day. There are several other places to stay too offering a wide range of prices. If you're interested in going to Panhala check out the bungalows on hire too. Views are great across the valley and we saw many youngsters drinking beer on the bastions, several other love birds and honeymooners apart from families. There are lovely bungalows as well and one of the tourist attractions is Lata Mangeshkar's bungalow. If in Kolhapur, do make time to spend an evening in Panhala. In a vehicle, checking out the fort takes about an hour and a half. We had a lovely time because the weather was superb that day with cloud cover all through and a nip in the evening as if we were in a hill station.

For the religious there is the Jyotiba temple on the way back from Panhala to Kolhapur. We missed that but stopped at a lovely temple at the outskirts of Kolhapur - an old bridge reminding me of 'The Bridges of Madison County' and a temple half submerged in the waters of the river. Was it called the Sangameshwar? Or Panchganga? Anyway, good to partake of some history again.